The Diamondbacks started out hot to start 2012.  They swept the Giants at home.  Not only that but they beat aces of the Giants: Lincecum, Bumgarner, and Cain.  Then they traveled to San Diego and beat out the Padres 2 of the 3 games.  Finally they ended this week with a road trip to a cold and windy Denver for their 3 game series with the Colorado Rockies.

The Diamondbacks started out the first game hot much like they did every game this season.   They scored 6 runs in the first 3 innings but the Rockies stuck with the Diamondbacks and were able to pull away in the 8^th with a 7-6 victory.

Saturday night the Diamondbacks trailed 5-1 early but they battled back to take a lead 7-6 heading into the 9^th inning.  Then down to their last out Todd Helton hit a home run with one man on to give the Rockies a walk off win.  The Diamondbacks went from on fire to two straight losses.  Two games the Diamondbacks should have won.  J.J. Putz who never lost a lead in the regular season last year blew his first save of the year in April.

Today the Diamondbacks shot out to a quick lead with the help of Chris Young both with a 2 run HR and an RBI single.  Trevor Cahill pitched almost flawlessly.  He pitched 7 innings allowing 4 hits and one earned run.  The bullpen faltered in the 8^th allowing 2 runs but Bryan Shaw was able to come in and shut the door and get his second save of the year.

The Rockies win the series but the Diamondbacks were able to stop the bleeding.  The Rockies do not look to disappear into the cellar of the NL West this year.  The top of the NL West will be very crowded all year long.

Chris Young has the Diamondbacks Offense Flying High

First Week Studs

Chris Young- Young is batting .364 with 4 home runs and 11 RBIs.  He is on fire right now.  No one could have expected Young to start this strong to start the year.  If he continues this he may be onto an MVP type year.

Trevor Cahill- Cahill has pitched over 13 innings with 11 strikeouts and only 6 hits allowed.  Adding Cahill is proving to be one of the biggest additions this offseason.

First Week Duds

Jason Kubel- Kubel had big expectations coming into the year only because he was being plugged into the lineup over Gold Glove Winner Gerrardo Parra.  Kubel has only a .208 batting average to start the year while Parra(note that Parra’s stats are inflated due to less at bats than Kubel) has a .594 batting average.  Kubel will get better over time but the past two games Parra has gotten the start over Kubel.

Josh Collmenter- In 2 starts Collmenter has only mustered 7 total innings pitched allowing 10 hits and 10 runs for an ERA of 12.86.  His start is worrisome but Manager Kirk Gibson still has faith in him and will give him another start this week.  If he turns out another start like these Wade Miley and Trevor Bauer are waiting in the wings.

Collmenter is looking to rebound this week from his rough start to 2012

This Week

The Diamondbacks return home for a 3 game series against the Pirates and then a 4 game series against the Braves.  Keep an eye on Thursday when Collmenter gets a start against the Braves.  The Braves do not have an easy lineup and adding in a struggling Collmenter things could get ugly very quickly.  If Josh Collmenter struggles against the Braves don’t expect him in the rotation anymore.

We all remember it just like it was yesterday.  The Diamondbacks were down 2-0 in the NLDS to the powerful Milwaukee Brewers.  Then the Diamondbacks stormed back winning 2 games forcing the elimination Game 5 in Milwaukee.  The Diamondbacks tied the game in the 9^th and it looked like the Diamondbacks Cinderella season would continue.  Then the infamous RBI game winning single by Nyjer Morgan killed all hope in the Diamondbacks 2011 season.

Luckily we are entering a new season.  This new season comes with new additions for the Diamondbacks and a National League that does not include Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols.  Even better the Diamondbacks kept their core together for another magical year with some added bat power and some pitching help.

ADDITIONS

LF Jason Kubel

After an injury sidelined Kubel, the Diamondbacks are hoping he can return to the Kubel of 2009 when he hit 35 doubles, 28 home runs, 103 RBI’s, and a .300 batting average.  However, it is an interesting addition considering the year that Gerardo Parra had along with Chris Young and Justin Upton.  It is definitely an offensive move to ensure the Diamondbacks can get more runs on the board but it will be interesting in how Gibby balances playing time.

SP Trevor Cahill

The star starting pitcher from the A’s comes to the Diamondbacks in a trade with Craig Breslow.  He started his MLB career in 2009 and hit the ground running in 2010.  In 2011 he fell off a little bit, but is still a solid pitcher and will fit in perfectly into a young and stellar starting rotation.  Kennedy, Hudson, Cahill, Saunders, and Collmenter should prove to be a tough starting five to face all season long.

RP Craig Breslow

Not the sexiest addition to the bullpen but an addition that should help the Diamondbacks down the stretch.  If the Diamondbacks starting five can produce consistently this bullpen should be able to hold up this season.

ROOKIE IN WAITING

Bauer is headed to the minors for now...but will we see him in Arizona before the end of 2012?

SP Trevor Bauer

If an injury hits the starting rotation or if Collmenter falters coming out of the gate, rookie Trevor Bauer is waiting for his chance to shine.  Hopefully, the Diamondbacks can develop him more and we will not see him in 2012.

BREAKOUT STAR

1B Paul Goldschmidt

Goldschmidt came onto the scene late in 2011 and did not disappoint.  He is prone to strike outs but when he makes contact he really gets a hold of the ball.  The Diamondbacks having a full year with Goldschmidt could prove lethal to the NL West.  Don’t sleep on Miguel Montero having a solid year though; his long-term contract talks were shelved shortly after Molina of the St. Louis Cardinals got a big long term deal.  He will be out to prove he deserves a similar contract from the Diamondbacks or any team for that matter.

MVP

RF Justin Upton

Upton had a stellar year in 2011 and don’t expect any different in 2012.  Upton has improved every single year in the bigs and he will do much of the same in 2012.  Don’t be surprised if he is the proud owner of the 2012 MVP Award.

PROJECTED FINISH

1^st Place 97-65

Will Ryan Roberts and Aaron Hill have seasons like last year?  Most likely the answer is a solid no.  However, the new additions will help this team for the long haul.  The additions in the bullpen and starting rotation and the offensive additions in the outfield will ensure any drop off from last year will be bolstered with new talent.  The NL West will be tough with the resurgence of the Dodgers and Rockies and a healthy Giants squad.  However, the Diamondbacks will pull ahead in the West late in September.  As well, expect one of the Wild Card teams to be from the NL West.

Before Opening Day expect a full NL West Preview from myself and fellow PSB writer for the Colorado Rockies: Steve Folsom.

The script is set in Arizona.  Arizona is now down 2-0 in the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers.  Just about every MLB analyst is drinking the Brew Crew Kool-Aid.  The question is can the Brewers close out the series or can the Diamondbacks pull off the unthinkable?

Sunday the Diamondbacks looked to even the series.  The Brewers had different plans.  The Brewers score 2 runs in the 1^st inning off of a 2 run home run by Ryan Braun.  Then the Diamondbacks struck back with a solo home run off the bat of Paul Goldschmidt.  Next, Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks drove in runs to give the Brewers a commanding 4-1 lead.  Here come the Diamondbacks scoring a Chris Young home run and a Justin Upton home run in the 4^th and 5^th inning.  The Diamondbacks we saw during the season we’re back..  We have a series on our hands.  Then, the Brewers struck gold in the 6^th inning.

Justin Upton and the D'Backs can't believe their eyes as they trail 2-0 in the NLDS

The Brewers batted through their entire order on their way to 5 runs, which put away the Diamondbacks.  The Diamondbacks are now down 2-0.

No NLDS winner has been down 2-0 and rallied to a 3-2 series win.  The good news for the Diamondbacks is that it has happened quite a bit in the ALDS.  As well, the Diamondbacks have had bigger win streaks than 3 throughout the season, but THIS is the postseason.

If Arizona wants to shock the world again they must do it in convincing fashion this week with the next two games at home.  They must not only win game 3 but they must crush the morale of Milwaukee when they win.

In the past ten years two teams have overcome a 2 game deficit to win the Best of 5 series.  One was the Angels over the Yankees in 2003 and the Yankees over the Athletics in 2001.  Arizona can make history by being the first National League team to achieve the feat in the Wild Card era.

Arizona will face Milwaukee Tuesday night at Chase Field for possibly the finale.  The Diamondbacks are throwing Josh Collmenter on the mound against Shaun Marcum.  The good news for the Diamondbacks is Shaun Marcum was 2-2 in September with a 5.17 ERA.  If they can get to Marcum early they should be able to get the momentum they need to possibly shift the series.   The bad news for the Diamondbacks is that Josh Collmenter was not any better in September.  The bright spot is the last time Collmenter faced Milwaukee this year he pitched 8 strong innings striking out 7 allowing 0 runs and only allowing 3 hits.  If Collmenter can repeat that performance Arizona will be in the position to gain some momentum with Game 4 at Arizona as well.

Arizona is hoping Manager Kirk Gibson has another Postseason miracle up his sleeve.

Arizona can only win one game at a time.  Talking about winning the series is premature but Arizona never goes down without a fight.  There is a reason they have the most comeback wins in the entire MLB.  Yes, Arizona is down but don’t count them out.  Almost every analyst says this series is over.  Many analysts are already counting Milwaukee as the winner of the National League with how they are playing.  That’s good Arizona plays their best baseball when everyone counts them out.  Game on Brew Crew.

Related Articles: http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/10/04/2011-mlb-postseason-podcast/

The Arizona Wildcats looked good yesterday.  They ran and passed the ball brilliantly.  However, USC still scored more points in the shootout at the Coliseum.  USC won 48-41.

Matt Barkley was able to torch Arizona for a USC record 468 yards.  USC scored on just about every possession.  Clearly the weak point for this Arizona team is their defense.   Matt Barkley is good but he is not record setting good.  Arizona clearly is hurting from all their injuries on defense.  Coach Mike Stoops will need to something with his defense if he hopes to finish with a winning record.

Arizona had a tough time getting started trailing 17-0 at the end of the 1st Quarter but would eventually rally throughout the game.  It wasn’t enough as Arizona’s Defense just could not make a stop in this game.  The offense for Arizona once it got started looked great.

The main focus on offense was getting that run game going.  They had no problem scoring with their rushing attack as 2 TD’s came on the ground.  Freshman sensation Ka’Deem Carey came alive scoring 3 TD’s in this game, 2 rushing and one receiving.  Carey only had 79 Total Offensive yards but he performed when it counted.   Antolin wasn’t too bad himself rushing for 87 yards with an average of 5.8 per rushing attempt.

Nick Foles was on fire yet again completing 77% of his throws and having another 400 yard passing day.  However, he wasn’t all glory as he threw his first 2 interceptions of the season at USC.

Arizona is now 1-4 and probably the most talented 1-4 team in the nation.  They faced a rough schedule.  Now is the time for Arizona to rebound and save face.  Next week, they play a winless Oregon State team.  If Arizona can grab a win next week it should give them the confidence to move forward with this season.

The Diamondbacks were silenced in Game 1 in Milwaukee.  The Brewers went on to win 4-1 behind an amazing game behind Yovani Gallardo.

Gallardo pitched 8 strong innings striking out nine batters and only allowing 4 hits.  Ryan Roberts was able to hit a home run in the 8^th inning but it was not enough.  Behind the Milwaukee offense Gallardo had enough breathing room to pitch the way he needed to get the win.

Prince Fielder had no problem with Ian Kennedy hitting a 2 run home run in the 7th inning

Kennedy was quite the opposite.  He did not look like the 21 game winner and Cy Young candidate.   Kennedy allowed 8 hits, 4 runs, and struck out only 3 batters.  His biggest mistake came in the bottom of the 7^th inning.  Prince Fielder came up to bat with Ryan Braun on 2^nd base.  One option would be to walk Fielder and take your chances on Rickie Weeks.  Instead Kennedy pitched to Fielder and crushed a 2 run home run to put the Diamondbacks to bed.  Why he was not walked is beyond me.  You can’t let Fielder dictate whether or not he is going to crush you.  To stay in the game you must neutralize Fielder and late in the game with an empty base you have to walk Fielder.

The Diamondbacks just could not get their hits as Gallardo spotted his pitches perfectly the entire game.  The only thing the Diamondbacks can hope to do is rebound and steal a win in Milwaukee to split the series.

The Diamondbacks will send out Daniel Hudson against Zack Grienke, who will be pitching on short rest.  The Diamondbacks need to attack Grienke as soon as possible and they will need to neutralize Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder if they hope to stay in this game.

The Diamondbacks now know how a playoff game feels.  Now is the time to get back to Arizona baseball and attack the Brewers for Game 2.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are post season bound for the first time since 2007.  The Arizona Diamondbacks finished with 97 losses last season and last place in the NL West.  This season they finished with 94 wins.

Friday night, Arizona beat the defending World Series Champions to clinch the division.  What other division winner was able to clinch their division and eliminate the defending World Series Champions in the same game.  Clearly the San Francisco Giants didn’t have the same season but neither did Arizona.

Diamondbacks celebrated their NL West Title Friday Night

Manager Kirk Gibson was able to turn this team around with the help of GM Kevin Towers.  All the right pieces were put in place and Arizona was able to execute all season long.  Arizona has a Cy Young favorite Ian Kennedy, finalist for MVP Justin Upton, and shoe in for Manager of the Year Kirk Gibson.   Clearly this was not all about personal accomplishments.  This was an all around effort.  The starting rotation pitched in, the bullpen, the bats, and even the defense in the field.  Parra with his outstanding arm in the outfield, Aaron Hill’s glove, Ryan Robert’s clutch hitting, Ian Kennedy’s ability to go the distance.  Can they go the distance in the postseason though?

Arizona has the least amount of postseason experience.  This is where Arizona lacks but they also have the attitude to overcome this.  Arizona leads the MLB in most comeback wins this season.  On top of that, they have the best record in regards to one run games.  Arizona is ready for the postseason as they were able to finish September 16-9.

The Postseason though is a whole new ballgame.  Winning a game in September on a half filled Stadium on a Tuesday night is different than Game 1 of the Postseason in a packed stadium.  Arizona will face off against the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS.  Arizona leads the series 4-3 with 3 of those wins coming at Milwaukee.  Arizona has a stellar rotation with the most underrated 1-2 punch in the playoffs.  Best? No, that goes to the Phillies but definitely most underrated.  The Brewers counter the Diamondbacks stellar rotation with another great rotation.  Arizona has some great bats in Upton and Montero.  Milwaukee counters with MVP favorite Ryan Braun and power hitter Prince Fielder.  Arizona has a great closer J.J. Putz and Milwaukee can counter with John Axford.

The postseason is all about momentum.  If Arizona can carry their momentum into Game 1 and steal game 1 from Milwaukee they will be the favorite for the series.  However, if Milwaukee sets the pace Arizona will have their backs against the wall.  Once again Arizona boasts the most comeback wins and best one run game record.  Arizona cannot be counted out regardless of who wins Game 1.  However, it will be huge in escaping this series.

Arizona may not have postseason experience but their managing staff has plenty of it.   They have done a good job of mentoring their players this season and they will do more of the same this postseason.

Ian Kennedy will be key in taking the momentum away from the Brewers

Arizona will throw out Ian Kennedy on the mound against Brewer’s Ace Yovani Gallardo.  Sunday Daniel Hudson will face off against Zack Grienke.  Grienke will be pitching off of short rest.  This could either be a genius idea for the Brewer’s or their undoing.

Bold Prediction:  Arizona will split in Milwaukee and close out the series in Arizona.  Arizona in 4.

Arizona hopes to bounce back this week in a must win game at The Coliseum.  Arizona (1-3) will face off against USC (3-1).  USC showed some vulnerability last week in their loss to Arizona State.  Don’t count USC as a bad team but Arizona State as a good team.  This will be quite the uphill battle for the struggling Arizona Wildcats.

Arizona will have their hands full especially with USC QB Matt Barkley.  Barkley has 1,119 passing yards, 10 TD’s and only 3 picks.  If Arizona is going to win they must shut down the pass.  Forcing USC to become one-dimensional will be key in keeping Arizona’s defense off the field.

On the other side of the ball, Arizona’s line must give Nick Foles time to throw the ball and to establish a rushing attack.  Carey and Antolin seemed to get more of a rushing attack against Oregon but it clearly was not enough.  A balanced attack will be key in Arizona’s success the rest of the season.

Arizona State was able to beat USC last week because of their balanced attack.  Arizona must do the same.  They must keep USC guessing on defense.  If Arizona keeps USC guessing they will keep their struggling defense off the field.  Looking at the Stanford game, Arizona was able to stick with Stanford for the first half but fell apart in the second half.  This is because the defense finally couldn’t hold up anymore.  When your defense is on the field more than your offense, especially when your depth is as shallow as Arizona, you will struggle.

USC lost to Arizona State and coach Lane Kiffin and QB Matt Barkley will look to learn from their mistakes.  Arizona on the other hand are in a must win if they hope to still have a winning season.

Prediction:  Arizona will start off very well sticking with USC for 3 quarters.  However, playing at The Coliseum is not a home game.  Matt Barkley will lead his team to avenge their loss against Arizona State.  USC 31 Arizona 24

A third straight Top 10 team for Arizona and a third straight crushing loss for Arizona.  Oregon pummeled Arizona by a score of 56-31.   Yes, it looks like Oregon has turned a new leaf since their heartbreaking loss to LSU in week 1.

Oregon went up 35-3 in the first half before Arizona went on a scoring run in the third quarter.   The Wildcats were able to score 21 unasnwered points to bring the game within 11 points before Oregon took off running with the lead.

Oregon has passed the ball a lot this year but they wouldn’t do much of it against Arizona.  Darron Thomas only had to pass for 101 yards and 2 TD’s.  While RB LaMichael James ran for 288 yards and 2 TD’s.  Darron Thomas and Kenjon both ran for 2 TD’s each.  Oregon totaled 516 yards with 415 on the ground.  Arizona just could not bring down the rushing attack from Oregon as Oregon averaged 8.8 yards per carry.

Arizona once again could not get the rushing attack going.  Arizona’s rushing attack totaled up a dismal 82 yards.  The one bright side was QB Nick Foles who passed what seemed all night.  He completed 34 of 57 passes throwing for 398 yards and 3 TD’s.

Yes, Nick Foles is having an incredible year.  Unfortunately, it is not translating into wins, as the defense and rushing attack have been non-existent.  When your offense is one-dimensional it makes it very difficult for your team to stay in the game.

Alex Zendejas proved to be a better kicking option this week making his first field goal but later looked less attractive with his missed extra point.

If Arizona wants to improve they need that offensive line and rushing attack to improve to give Nick Foles a little breathing room and unpredictability.  As well, that defense needs to operate better.  It is easier to beat a team that scores only 21 points as opposed to a team that scores 56.

No one expected Arizona’s record at this point to be better than 1-3.  However, I think we all expected Arizona to put up a fight in the past three games.  The Wildcats do show signs of life but only in about a quarter of each game.   If these beatings keep happening throughout the year will Mike Stoops be out of a job at the end of the season?  It’s too early to tell but signs are pointing to yes.  The schedule does favor Stoops as most of the ranked opponents will be out of the way

Next week, the Arizona Wildcats travel to USC who just lost to ASU.  The Wildcats might stand a better chance but it is still AT The Coliseum.

The Arizona Wildcats are licking their wounds AGAIN this week.  Another week another crushing defeat by a Top 25 team.  This will be the third Top 10 opponent in 3 weeks. First it was the slaughter at Oklahoma State.  This past week, it was at home against Stanford.  Now, the Wildcats will face off against home against Pac-12 favorite Oregon.

Sure, they struggled against LSU and only hold a 2-1 record.  Sure, LaMichael James has not had a Heisman worthy season.  However, he has not needed to as QB Darron Thomas has stacked up 741 yards and 10 TD’s.  9 of those TD’s have been in the past two games.  The Ducks have a high flying passing attack and the very thing that Andrew Luck exposed last week was a thin Arizona secondary.  If Oregon can execute it will be a very long day for Arizona.

The one bright spot for Arizona is their passing offense.  They have been lights out.  Nick Foles is 3^rd in the nation for yards.  The only problem is his pass protection.  In last week’s game against Stanford, Nick Foles was almost perfect, only throwing 2 incompletions in the first half.  However, that faulty pass protection finally broke down in the second half.  Nick Foles was sacked five times against Stanford.

If Arizona wants to stay competitive they need to keep their defense fresh by staying on the field offensively.  They must balance their offense attack with rushing.  Which has only averaged 55 yards per game and ranked 116^th in the nation.  Once again that offensive line must find a way to hold up.  Getting multiple looks from their running backs will be key along with their high-powered passing attack.

Finally, special teams have been Arizona’s Achilles’ heel.  No matter who the kicker is no field goal is a guarantee.  In fact, Arizona is better off going for it on every 4^th down.

Oregon is favored by 16 points and it could be even worse than that if Oregon gets on a roll.

Final Prediction:  Arizona 21 Oregon 45

Other news:  The Pac-12 decided against expanding into the Pac-16 with Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State.  This is probably the best news head coach Mike Stoops has received all season.  Adding those 4 teams would make for a difficult season scheduling wise.  The Pac-12 is competitive as it is, getting those Big-12 teams would make the Pac-16 possibly the toughest in the nation.  Perhaps in a few years Arizona will be ready for that competition but not next season.

The first pitcher in the National League to 20 wins is not Roy Halladay, not Cole Hamels, not Cliff Lee, but it is Ian Kennedy.  The only 20 win pitchers this year in MLB are Justin Verlander (24) and Kennedy (20) wins.

J.J. Putz was happy to secure the win for Ian Kennedy giving him the milestone of 20.

Last night, Ian Kennedy pitched 8 amazing innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates allowing only one hit (to the Pirates pitcher) and walked only one.  Justin Upton hit a solo HR in the 6^th inning to give the D’Backs the lead. 

 J.J. Putz relieved Kennedy in the 9^th to close out the game.  After one out Putz gave up a triple and it looked like Kennedy’s 20^th win was in jeopardy.  Then two quick outs closed the game, gave Kennedy win number 20, and cut the magic number to 4.

Last night’s game was not about getting to 20 wins for Ian Kennedy rather about getting a team win and lowering that magic number to 4.  The Giants have been on fire as they are now on an 8 game winning streak.  The Diamondbacks must close out the Pirates this week.  Losing their division lead would be catastrophic with the Giants coming to town this weekend.

The biggest debate as the season draws to an end is now on the end of season awards.  The Diamondbacks are getting special attention with the Cy Young Award.  Ian Kennedy has an NL Best 20 wins.  He also has a 2.88 ERA (8^th), 194 strikeouts (6^th), and a WHIP of 1.08(5^th).  His 20 wins is obviously the biggest stat that pushes him towards the Cy Young. 

There are two other pitchers that need to be seriously considered along with Kennedy, Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers and Cole Hamels of the Phillies.  Cole Hamels sports a 2.80 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and a 14-7 record.  Clayton Kershaw is having a lights out year despite his team struggling.  Kershaw has a 2.30 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and a 19-4 record.  Clearly an argument can be made for any of these 3 pitchers to win the Cy Young. 

How they finish the season will be huge in determining that winner but right now Kennedy is running away with his in September.  For the month of September he is 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA.

Despite the Dodger's poor record Clayton Kershaw remains determined to beat out Kennedy for the Cy Young

With pitching it is all about performing when it counts.  Should Kennedy win the Cy Young it will mean much less without the Diamondbacks making the playoffs.  If the Diamondbacks can hit their stride in postseason they will be a tough out in a very competitive National League.

Tonight the Diamondbacks send Daniel Hudson(16-10) to the mound against Pirates pitcher Charlie Morton (9-10).

Other news:  Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall was diagnosed with prostate cancer.  Derrick Hall has been instrumental in getting the Diamondbacks competitive and setting that tone for the future.  It was caught early so Hall has the advantage.  Now this season’s slogan may become “Win it for Hall” as some D’Backs twitter followers have already suggested.  Here is to a speedy recover Derrick.